The urban parks of Barcelona, Spain, are home to a thriving colony of tropical monk parakeets. These vibrant green birds, native to South America, have adapted well to their new European environment. As they live in large groups, they communicate with each other using an array of distinct sounds – offering scientists a unique window into understanding the intricate relationships between individual social connections and vocal variety.

For animals that live in complex societies, communication is the key that unlocks the benefits of group living. From dolphins’ clicks and whistles to primates’ calls, it’s well-known that species with more intricate social lives tend to have more diverse ways of communicating. However, a recent study on wild parrots has drilled deeper into the social and vocal lives of individual birds.

Researchers at the Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior spent two years closely observing 337 monk parakeets in Spain, documenting their social lives and recording over 5,599 vocalizations – an astonishing number that provides a wealth of data for analysis. By examining these calls in terms of repertoire diversity (the variety of sounds a bird can make) and contact-call diversity (how unique this specific type of call is), the team was able to uncover some fascinating insights.

The study revealed that individual parakeets living in larger groups did indeed produce more variable repertoires of sounds. Interestingly, female parakeets had a more diverse repertoire than males – an unusual finding for birds. This suggests that females may be the more social sex, and their vocalizations reflect this.

Social network analysis showed that parakeets with more central positions in the social structure – those that were potentially more influential in the group – tended to have more diverse vocal repertoires. In other words, the most social individuals seemed to have a better vocabulary than less social individuals.

The researchers also found that close friends who allowed each other to approach within pecking distance sounded less like each other, as if they were trying to sound unique in their little gang. These findings offer clues about the evolution of complex communication, including human language.

As Simeon Smeele, the first author of the study, notes, “The next big step is to better understand what each of the sounds mean – a real mammoth task, since most of the social squawking happens in large groups with many individuals talking at the same time!” The study provides a crucial foundation for further research into the intricate relationships between communication and group living in animals.

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In a groundbreaking study, wild chimpanzees have been observed eating and sharing fruit that contains alcohol. Researchers from the University of Exeter set up motion-activated cameras in Guinea-Bissau’s Cantanhez National Park to capture footage of these fascinating creatures.

For the first time, scientists have confirmed that chimps are consuming fermented African breadfruit, which contains ethanol (alcohol). This raises intriguing questions about whether and why our closest relatives deliberately seek out alcohol.

In humans, drinking alcohol leads to a release of dopamine and endorphins, resulting in feelings of happiness and relaxation. Sharing alcohol through traditions like feasting helps form and strengthen social bonds. Could wild chimpanzees be getting similar benefits from eating fermented fruits?

The researchers used cameras to film chimps sharing fermented breadfruits on 10 separate occasions. The fruit was tested for alcohol content, with the highest level found being equivalent to 0.61% ABV (Alcohol By Volume). While this is relatively low, the scientists suggest it may be just the tip of the iceberg, as 60-85% of chimps’ diet consists of fruit, which could lead to significant consumption.

The researchers emphasize that chimps are unlikely to get “drunk,” as this would clearly not improve their survival chances. However, recent discoveries about a molecular adaptation that increased ethanol metabolism in the common ancestor of African apes suggest eating fermented fruits may have ancient origins in species including humans and chimps.

Dr Kimberley Hockings from the University of Exeter notes, “Chimps don’t share food all the time, so this behavior with fermented fruit might be important. We need to find out more about whether they deliberately seek out ethanolic fruits and how they metabolize it.” If so, it suggests the human tradition of feasting may have its origins deep in our evolutionary history.

Anna Bowland’s work was funded by the Primate Society of Great Britain, providing a fascinating glimpse into the behavior and biology of our closest relatives.

Sauerkraut is more than just a tangy topping for your hot dog or sausage. According to a new study published in Applied and Environmental Microbiology, this fermented cabbage could hold the key to protecting your gut, which plays a vital role in overall health, supporting digestion, and safeguarding against illness.

Researchers from the University of California, Davis, led by Professor Maria Marco, explored what happens during fermentation – specifically how the metabolites in sauerkraut compare to those in raw cabbage. The team tested whether sauerkraut’s nutrients could help shield intestinal cells from damage caused by inflammation. They compared raw cabbage, sauerkraut, and the liquid brine left behind from fermentation.

The results were striking: sauerkraut helped maintain the integrity of intestinal cells, while raw cabbage and brine did not. Interestingly, there was no noticeable difference between store-bought sauerkraut and lab-made versions. “Some of the metabolites we find in the sauerkraut are the same kind of metabolites we’re finding to be made by the gut microbiome,” Marco said. “This gives us more confidence that this connection makes sense.”

Fermentation changes cabbage’s nutritional profile, boosting beneficial metabolites such as lactic acid, amino acids, and plant-based chemicals linked to gut health. These changes may explain why fermented foods often have digestive benefits.

Marco and her team identified hundreds of different metabolites produced during fermentation and are now working to determine which ones play the biggest role in supporting long-term gut health. “Along with eating more fiber and fresh fruits and vegetables, even if we have just a regular serving of sauerkraut, maybe putting these things more into our diet, we’ll find that can help us in the long run against inflammation, for example,” Marco said.

Fermented foods are already a staple in many diets, but this research suggests they could be more than just a flavorful side dish. The next step is to conduct human trials to see if the gut-protective metabolites found in sauerkraut can have the same positive effects when included in everyday diets.

“A little bit of sauerkraut could go a long way,” Marco said. “We should be thinking about including these fermented foods in our regular diets and not just as a side on our hot dogs.” This research was funded by grants from the California Department of Food and Agriculture, as well as a Jastro Shields Graduate Research Award from the UC Davis College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences.